Pupil Premium

In 2012, as part of its Coalition Agreement, the Government saw fit to set out its commitment to tackle educational inequality via a 'Pupil Premium' allocated to schools in addition to their budget. The Pupil Premium is awarded to schools based on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM). In 2012, the funding was extended to include pupils who have been eligible for FSM in the last 6 years, known as 'Ever 6 FSM". It is up to schools to decide how to spend the money. The Government believes that this is the best way to ensure that extra funding reaches the pupils who need it most.

Pupil Premium Grant Rationale 2016-17

This year schools have received a Pupil Premium of £1,320 per pupil eligible for FSM and pupils who have been eligible for FSM in the last six years (Ever 6 FSM). The school has been allocated a Pupil Premium budget of £69,060.

This academic year, the school has identified 51 pupils as being eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant. The school has reflected on what these particular pupils require in order to access the curriculum and to ensure that they have the best possible education the school can provide.

At Larmenier & Sacred Heart we recognise that not all pupils eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant face similar barriers to learning or have less potential to succeed.

Access to all school activities (Financial support, e.g. after school clubs, daily milk)

At Larmenier & Sacred Heart we have an ethos of high attainment for all pupils. We aim to support all of our pupils by providing high quality classroom teaching that is supplemented by targeted support and interventions to meet the needs of learners, as and when required.

The primary focus for Pupil Premium spending at Larmenier & Sacred Heart is to diminish the differences between Pupil Premium pupils and their non-eligible peers.

This academic year the following approaches have been selected to meet the needs of learners:

teacher led English and mathematics groups at Key Stage 2

an additional teacher in English and mathematics lessons to support identified pupils

intervention programmes in English and mathematics (including training for support staff)

additional support in phonics and reading

communication and language support, e.g. Language for Thinking

curriculum enrichment activities, e.g. samba

offering funded before/after school programmes (one club per term, per eligible pupil)

Learning Mentor support

offering funded milk

By undertaking the approaches identified above, the school aims to improve target pupils':

self esteem

progress and attainment (whether performing below, at or above expectations)

attitude towards learning

well-being and engagement

access to school clubs and enrichment opportunities

A Pupil Premium action plan has been formulated for the academic year; outlining priority pupils/groups, action to be taken and costings. The action plan is reviewed termly in order to monitor the impact of pupil premium spending and outcomes are reported to the Governing Board.

Pupil Premium Funding Review 2015-16

In 2015-16, 98 pupils benefited directly from targeted support or enrichment opportunities through the Pupil Premium Grant. This figure is greater than the number of eligible pupils (53) as additional pupils also benefited from the small group support alongside their peers. In total the school spent 100% of the Pupil Premium budget last academic year.

Additional support in phonics resulted in all Year 1 Pupil Premium pupils meeting the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. All Pupil Premium pupils in Year 2 that took the phonics retake also met the expected standard.

The teacher-led support groups in mathematics and English provided pupils with the opportunity to focus on aspects of the subjects which required further teaching or consolidation. Pupil Premium funding enabled the school to release two experienced teachers to lead these groups for the equivalent of 1.5 days per week. Deployment of experienced staff to lead intervention resulted in accelerated progress for a number of target pupils.

Well planned training for support staff enabled individual pupils to receive the required support to address specific learning needs.

The enrichment activities related to the arts and after school clubs enabled pupils to take part in team work activities and provided meaningful opportunities for pupils to develop their self-confidence and gave them a sense of personal achievement.

Termly review of Pupil Premium spending enabled the school to reallocate resources in order to respond to the needs of learners. The school was able to seek out strategies best suited to addressing the needs of individual learners, rather than fitting pupils into existing support strategies. Therefore, the school was able to provide both individual support for pupils with very specific learning needs and group support for pupils with similar needs.